Dorwinion
Dorwinion or Dor-Winion was a land which lay on the north-western shores of the Sea of Rhûn, surrounded by the River Running. In Dorwinion was made a heady wine, which was strong enough to let even Elves get drunk and fall asleep. Little is known of the mysterious land of Dorwinion save for its wealth and its excellent wine. Known as "Vinland" (among the Northmen), "Folyavuld" (circa TA 1640) or later "Rouavald" (after the Balchoth rule), the land is a mixed bag of men from Rhûn and Dale and Elves of the Avari; those who forsook the call of the Valar and remained in the east until slowly spreading out and settling in Dorwinion. History Despite its location in the outskirts of Rhûn, the very name of Dorwinion betrayed an influence by the Elves or the Gondorians, although it can't be said with certainty who inhabited that land. Since time out of mind it has been the home to a small peaceful population of Avari Elves ruled by a community council, though these would eventually migrate to other lands as the Edain became more numerous and asserted their dominance. Dorwinion had always been the victim of raids from other nations, in particular those by the Númenóreans Black Númenóreans of Umbar. Due to pillaging and arson, not much is known of Dorwinion history until the Third Age, when of Gondor King (King of Gondor) Turambar made conquests in the East, so the lands that was or would be Dorwinion probably became part of Gondor. This was ultimately to Dorwinion's benefit as Gondor sent troops to strengthen its defenses and defend her population. In TA 1248 King Minalcar and Vidugavia of the Northmen also campaigned in the lands between Rhovanion and the Inland Sea. In the following centuries the Plague Great Plague had hit those lands although it is not known how much Dorwinion was affected. During the war with the Wainriders (TA 1856), the borders of Gondor were pushed back to the Muil Emyn Muil. Eventually Gondor withdrew its hold from the lands around Rhûn, and thus Dorwinion. The Men remaining in the Vale elected their own king and modeled much of their government on Gondor, though they remembered the Avari council of old and from that they formed a senate of representatives. All government officials, including the King, would be elected to life terms, and new officials would be elected when a seat was vacated. By TA 2941 Dorwinion traded with realms of Wilderland, such as the Realm Woodland Realm. The special wine of Thranduil came from that place in crates. The of Mirkwood Elves of Mirkwood returned the crates by way of the River Forest River to Lake-town on Lake Long Lake. Personages Elves *Hûlmoth *Kedin *Melin Men TA. 1000: *Daelhaelin Cirya *Frumgara *Gaerendil Cirya *Goldwin Frec *Herufara Cirya *Lomelinde *Morlammen *Noldatan *Tar Balan TA 1650: *Anthar of Ardavan *Arcatia Koldana *Gaerendil II *Julia Marcatio *Ollonis *Valgavia Rogatha *Valla Giordia TA 2950: *Taron TA 3019: *Bolan *Caerlinc the Ranger *Ceribor *Dasron *Fablor *Gaerendil III *Galva *Gergeli *Gorovod II *Hegon *Herubor *Jadan *Layos *Loki *Maltor *Teja *Tidor Other *Fala *Great Shaker *Slaga Peoples *Avari *Bergothiuda *Easterners *Donath *Dorwinrim *Eneth *Ibnothiuda *Kugath *Riverrats *Westerners Settlements *Aldena Toron *Anthar Keep *Ardavan *Brilthen *Daranel Toron *Délút *Durst *Far Bank - Far Bank was a small village on a Ford on the river Donú. *Ilanin - Ilanin has few permanent buildings. Most structures are simple tents which disappear as soon as a market ends, loaded into the wagons and boats of their owners. During market-times, no small number of Northmen are present in town. *Kardavan - Renowned for its red wine, perhaps the most amiable and pleasant fruity red in the whole of Dorwinion, Kardavan was a serene and relaxing place to live. Favored with a gently rolling landscape, planted in neat rows of grapevines, and blessed with a multitude of gurgling streams and picturesque stands of gracefully aging trees, Kardavan was home to over two hundred prosperous and contented Dorwinrim.Durannon Wood stood watch over the sleepy little village. *Karfas - Karfas was a small Dorwinron village on the crossroads of the Men-Rómen, Men-Dorwinion and Men-in-Araw. *Karvod *Kelepar *Kilindrow *Konungsborg *Kravod - Kravod, in Dor-Rhunen, is the principal town of the Balchoth. It was built on the ruins of the Gondorian border-fortress *Larisa Toron *Marakai *Padvan *Rathmere *Riavod - Although ruled by a Sagath prince, the Dorwinrim use the town as their main trading base with the lands of Western Endor, shipping their goods up the Celduin to the Northmen of Esgaroth. Though they are an outgoing people, they view Gondor's empire with suspicion and prefer to deal with the people of the West outside of their own lands. Riavod is a simple stockaded town with a population which fluctuates with the season. There is a stable population of Sagath who live within the walls year-round and use the town as a base for their raids. *Sadvar *Scarakikot *Shrel-kain *Sorna *Tundera Var *Uldonavan *Vadvan *Wintirion Iaur Regions *Arkran Forest *Dobok Broen *Dobok Rhín - The Rhín Hills were a fertile Country of Vineyards and Fields of Fruit, the traditional home of the Folyavuldok-Rhín clan. *Durannon Wood *Nabal Mayzri - The Isles of Rhûnaer, also known as the Nabal Mayzri to the Easterlings and Dorwinrim, were a collection of small Islands within the Rhûnaer, largest of which was known as Tol Sûlereb or Tol Buruth.Some of the larger Isles were home to indigenous Sea-Easterling fishermen, others were known to be secret hideouts of the Corsairs of Rhûn. *Parta Rokantha *Red Hills Other versions Dorvinion or Dor-Winion is mentioned in the The Lay of the Children of Húrin; its wine was famous among the Dwarves of Nogrod and Menegroth. It is said there to lie in the "Burning south" (of Beleriand), which might suggest it was a different "Dorwinion", or may just have referred to the fact it came from the more southern lands of Rhovanion by way of the Dwarf-road of Beleriand. While writing the Quenta Silmarillion, Tolkien once mentioned Dorwinion as a location of Tol Eressëa. Tolkien reused the name and the wines in The Hobbit, establishing thus that it is somewhere in or near the Wilderland. Origin The name is Sindarin meaning "Land of Gwinion", whereas Gwinion itself is a name of a country meaning "Young-land"; from dor and gwain plus the geographical ending ''-iond''. The latter part of the name is apparently related to Gnomish words such as gwinwen (“freshness”) and gwion (“young”). Tolkien commented that the Elvish name in such a remote location is a "testimony to the spread of Sindarin". Based on the meaning of its name, John Rateliff suggests that the name is a reference to the Irish legend of Tír na nÓg "Land of the Young". However this similarity rather applies to the earlier phase where Dorwinion was mentioned as a part of Tol Eressea. Category:Rhun Category:Wild lands Category:Province Category:Kingdom Category:Realms Category:Regions Category:Rhovanion